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No wrongdoing in $15 million offshore transfers to Erdoğan’s family - prosecutor

2018-02-11

Ankara prosecutor’s office said $15 million worth of bank transfers to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s family in 2011 and 2012 does not indicate any wrongdoing.

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in November said Erdoğan’s family members had sent cash to an offshore bank account in the tax-free British jurisdiction of Isle of Man.

The banking documents instead show that the $15 million was transferred to Erdoğan’s family from an Isle of Man shipping company called Bellway Limited, prosecutors said, according to Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet.

Ankara’s Deputy Prosecutor Musa Yücel said his office will not pursue charges against Erdoğan’s family members since they found no evidence of wrongdoing regarding the money transfers, Cumhuriyet quoted him as saying.

Prosecutor’s office did not investigate the source of money, or the nature of the transfer, Cumhuriyet said.

Yücel also referred to the tax office regarding the allegations of tax evasion, Cumhuriyet said. As per law, tax crimes have five-year statue of limitation, it said.

Erdoğan family filed a libel complaint against Kılıçdaroğlu and sued him for 1,5 million Turkish liras ($390,000) in damages, Cumhuriyet said.